Electric deterrent device

ABSTRACT

A deterrent device for delivering an electric shock to an animal, pest or bird to be deterred, having the typical components of a non-conductive base to which the electrically conductive elements are attached. Instead of the typically-used copper wire, however, the braided elements comprise smaller strands of a conductive material, such as copper, aluminum or stainless steel wire, is used and is mechanically attached to the non-conductive base. The braided elements can be mechanically attached using a simple sewing operation in which the braid is sewn to the base. Because of the mechanical attachment and the ability of the braided elements to flex in both contraction and extension, the device of this invention can be used in tight corners and other contorted locations without having the wires of the typical prior art device pull free of the base.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to a device in which an electricalshock is delivered to the animal that comes into contact with it. Suchdevices find primary utility as pest deterrent devices. In particular,this invention pertains to such a device that is particularly welladapted for use as a bird deterrent device, but could be utilized withother animals as well.

Ever since electricity was first put to commercial and residential usein the United States in the late 1800's to solve the age-old problem ofdarkness, the ability of electrical current to deliver an electric shockto a person or animal has been recognized, and electricity utilized as aresult for things other than powering lights and motors. Non-lethalapplications of electricity for use in encouraging animals to dosomething or not do something soon followed the use of electricity forlights and motors. The electric cattle prod is perhaps the best known ofthose devices. Today, however, electricity is used in many ways withanimals, such as electric fences to keep farm animals in and predatorsout, and even dog trainers sometime use an electrical stimulus in a dogcollar to assist in their training.

Another age-old problem that has been perplexing mankind since longbefore the discovery and harnessing of electricity is the propensity ofpests in general, but particularly birds, to land in areas where theirhuman neighbors would prefer they didn't. Since the very first birddeterrent device used by man—undoubtedly a thrown rock—an incrediblearray of devices have been used to dissuade birds from landing orroosting in areas desired by the birds but undesirable to humans.Metallic spike-like, coil or rotating devices, sound-emitting devices,imitation predators, and even real predators, are just a few examples ofbird deterrent devices that have been used. Therefore, it is not at allsurprising that devices using lethal and non-lethal electrical shockwould also be employed along the way.

A typical device of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,048, inone embodiment of which a pair of copper wires connected to a powersource are embedded in opposites sides of a cable of appropriatediameter such that when the birds of choice (in this case, starlings)land on the cable, their feet touch both wires, closing the circuit andthereby delivering a lethal shock to the birds.

The much more recently-issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,064 discloses anotherversion of a bird and pest deterrent device in which a pair of crimpedcopper wires are appropriately spaced apart so that the bird's or otherpest's feet will touch both wires, resulting in a short circuit anddelivering a shock to the bird or other pest.

Other devices for carrying electric charges for discouraging birds andother pests are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,294,893; 3,336,854;3,717,802; 4,299,048; and 5,850,808, for example. Each of thesenecessarily include the broad concept of appropriately spaced-apartwires which will both be contacted by the bird (or other pest's) feet(or other part of their anatomy) so as to deliver the appropriateelectric shock.

While all of these devices work, at least initially, to an acceptabledegree in some installations, the problem that prior art devices of thistype have long encountered has been in providing such a device that canbe used in something other than relatively straight-line, flatapplications and that have a sufficiently long expected useful life inthat application. These problems arise from the fact that these devicesinherently need two things—1) the conductive elements, typically metalwires, that carry the electrical current; and 2) a non-conductive baseelement, to which the wires are attached. Most typically, the metalwires are held by friction and/or glue within an appropriately sizedchannel in the base. See, for example, the devices disclosed in U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,850,808; 4,299,048 and 3,366,854. Because the metal wiresand the non-metallic bases have different coefficients of expansion andcontraction, and different degrees of flexibility, however, there is atendency for the wires in these devices to become detached from the baseover time since these devices are typically used in locations that aredirectly exposed to the weather. This problem is exacerbated if thelocation to which the device is applied is other than a straight, flatsurface, as any twisting or bending of the device places unequalstresses on the base and the wires causing them to become loose or evenpop out of their holding channels.

These two problems have been addressed in different ways, and continueto cause problems in the industry, as those skilled in the art continueto seek to find ways to solve the problems. For one recent example, inU.S. Pat. No. 6,283,064, the base “has spaced notches along each edge toprovide flexibility to the base, whereby the base may be bent both outof the plane and within the plane” (id., Col. 1, lines 64-66) and the“wires are crimped in undulating fashion along their length, to providethem with give so that they will not disassociate from the base when itis bent or when the wires and base expand and contract at differentrates.” (Id., Col. 2, lines 7-11).

While the prior art devices are useful to a degree, they still sufferfrom certain drawbacks, including limitations on the degree to whichthey can be bent without inducing potentially disabling stresses, andrelatively higher cost. Therefore, there exists a need in the art for animproved electrical shock deterrent device that solves these problems,and does so in an efficient, reliable, low cost way.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides such an improved device by replacing thetypically-used wire with a braided element than can be sewn to the base,entirely eliminating the need for an appropriately-sized channel intowhich the metallic wire is inserted. The braided element can be composedof individual strands of any sufficiently conductive material, such asmetal wire. The strands could also include some conductive and somenon-conductive strands. The individual strands can be of any appropriatecross-sectional design, such as round, square, oblong or flat. The basecan be of any non-conductive material, and is preferably PVC or otherelastomeric material that is, in addition to being an insulator, UVresistant and extremely flexible. The size and spacing of the braidedelement and the size and configuration of the base can be designed forwhatever animal, pest or bird is to be deterred.

Because the braided element is not a single, solid piece of metal, butcomprised of individual strands woven together to form the braidedelement, such that each strand can move relative to one another, thebraided element can be easily sewn directly onto the base, creating avery strong mechanical bond. If an embodiment is used in which thebraided element is substantially flat, it can also be glued to the base,although sewing has proven sufficient and preferable. Other attachmentmeans could also be employed.

Because the preferred base is constructed of a very flexible material,because of the very secure mechanical attachment between the braidedelements and the base accomplished by sewing, and because the braidedelement is extremely flexible, the base and braided element combinationof this invention can literally be bent into a 180-degree angle,inwardly or outwardly, within a curvature radius of less than one inchwithout experiencing any detachment. In the area of curvature, thebraided element simply expands or contracts in width (depending on whichway the device is bent) as the added stresses are distributed over allof the individual strands in the braided element, rather than having tobe handled by one, single, large wire. Also, because the individualstrands are braided, there is significant leeway for them to flex so asto accommodate the severe bending action.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of thisinvention.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the preferred embodiment of this invention,showing the braided element in the preferred position on the elevatedpedestal portion of the base.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the preferred base of this invention, showingthat it is preferably constructed off a single extruded piece ofmaterial in the desired length.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the preferred embodiment of this invention. Thedotted line extending down the middle of each of the braided elementrepresents the stitching of the sewn attachment means. The spaced-apartholes in the center of the base that can be used for attaching the baseto the desired surface area are also shown.

FIG. 5 is an isolated, enlarged view taken from circle-5 in FIG. 4. Itshows in greater detail the braided nature of the conductive element andthe preferred sewing attachment means. As also depicted here, in thepreferred embodiment, the individual strands of the braided element arenot braided tightly together at rest, but have some free space. Althoughthe individual strands of the braided element shown here and in theother Figures are depicted as being in a fairly linear cross-hatchedarrangement, in one of the preferred embodiments the strands are in amuch more curvilinear configuration forming the braided element.

FIG. 6 shows the preferred embodiment (absent the sewn stitching) inwhich the top side of the device is being bent in a concave fashion.Although this Figures shows a very significant curvature, the device ofthis invention is actually capable of being bent much more severelywithout adversely affecting the attachment between the conductivebraided elements and the non-conductive base.

FIG. 7 is an isolated, enlarged view taken from circle-7 in FIG. 6, andshows that in concave flex, the elongation stress placed on the braidedelement is absorbed by the individual strands within the braided elementpulling tightly together.

FIG. 8 shows the preferred embodiment (absent the sewn stitching) inwhich the top side of the device is being bent in a convex fashion.Although this Figures shows a very significant curvature, the device ofthis invention is actually capable of being bent much more severelywithout adversely affecting the attachment between the conductivebraided elements and the non-conductive base.

FIG. 9 is an isolated, enlarge view taken from circle-7 in FIG. 9, andshows that in convex flex, the compression stress placed on the braidedelements is absorbed by the individual strands expanding apart from oneanother, and the overall width of the braided element becoming larger.

FIG. 10 is an end view of one embodiment of the braided element.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Looking at FIG. 1, it is seen that the preferred embodiment of thisinvention is of essentially three-piece construction, having a base 10and a pair of braided elements 12 a and 12 b attached thereto.

The base 10 has a flat lower surface 20 that is presented for attachmentto the surface of the location from which the pests or birds are to bedeterred. In this embodiment, as best seen in FIG. 2, thecross-sectional shape of the base 10 is essentially co-joined pedestals22 a and 22 b that each present an elevated section 24 a and 24 b,respectively, and each having and upper flat surface 26 a and 26 b towhich the braided elements 12 a and 12 b are attached. A central gap 28exists between the two elevated section 24 a and 24 b, and is useful toprovide for water run-off to prevent accidental short circuiting of thedevice in the presence of water which may accumulate due to rain orirrigation.

In this embodiment, the base 10 is approximately 1.5 inches wide, andapproximately 0.25 inches high (from the lower surface 20 to the uppersurfaces 26 a and 26 b. The height of the elevated sections 24 a and 24b is approximately 0.06 inches. The width of each of the upper surfaces26 a and 26 b is approximately 0.25 inches, and the distance between thelongitudinal centerlines of the upper surfaces 26 a and 26 b isapproximately 0.625 inches, leaving a gap area 28 between them ofapproximately 0.375 inches. These dimensions are, of course, by way ofillustration only. The dimensions can be varied in any fashion asappropriate to the application. Also, the length of the device segmentshown is relatively short. The base 10 can be constructed of any length,and is preferably constructed in as long a length as feasible so as toavoid inter-connecting segments of the device. Because the device ofthis invention can be curved without harming its performance orlife-expectancy, it can be rolled for shipment and storage, thusallowing for much longer single-formed pieces than with other prior artdevices.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, holes 30 are placed through the base 10in the gap area 28 at regular intervals along the entire length of thebase to facilitate attachment of the device to the perch location (notshown), for example. Plainly, the holes 30 are only one of innumerableways in which the attachment can be facilitated. Attachment can be mymechanical means such as screw, bolts, staples or nails, or any otherattachment means such as adhesives, or a combination of them.

The base 10 can of course be of any shape and size as dictated by thespecific size and type of animal, bird or pest to be deterred, and thearea to which the device is to be installed, so long as the two braidedelements are kept a sufficient distance apart so as to prevent shortcircuiting, and are not so far apart at to not be short-circuited whenthe intended-to-be-deterred animal, pest or bird contacts the device.

The base 10 can also be constructed of any material so long as there issufficient non-conductive material immediately adjacent the braidedelements 12 a and 12 b so as to prevent short circuiting. In thepreferred embodiment, the entire base 10 is of a single material, inthis case extruded polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”), that is extremelyflexible, durable and UV resistant, and is sufficiently soft so as toallow for the sewing operation whereby the braided elements 12 a and 12b can be sewn directly to the base. The base 10 can also be constructedof any color so as to blend with the structure to which it willultimately be attached. As noted, it is not necessary that the base beof unitary material and construction. The PVC used in the base can beeither cellular, flex or rigid. Other possible material for constructionof the base include but are not limited to neoprene, fluoroelastomer(available commercially under trademarks Vitron® and Flourel®),silicone, natural rubber, buna N (nitrile), buna S (SBR), thermoplasticrubber, synthetic polyisoprene, EPDM and polyurethane.

The braided elements 12 a and 12 b comprise individual strands 32 whichcan be of any suitable conductive material. In some embodiments, theindividual strands 32 could include some conductive strands and some not(for example, if a few strands of a very strong, albeit non-conductivematerial might be desired to add even more strength and durability).While flat braids are preferred, non-flat braided material could also beused. Also, while stainless steel is preferred, copper or zinc platedcopper are just two examples of many other conductive materials thatcould be substituted. A suitable commercially available braid is thatprovided by Hamilton Products, Sherburne N.Y. (www.hamprods.com). Thesize of the braid, the number of strands, the size of the individualstrands and other specifications for the braided elements are matters ofchoice depending on the application for the device. However, a ⅜ inchwide braid having 48 strands, and capable of handling up to 40 nominalamperes of current has proven effective for a wide range ofapplications. Also, although the preferred braided elements 12 a and 12b have a substantially flat cross-section configuration, braidedelements having a substantially oblong, round, rectilinear or eventriangular (or any other shape) cross-sectional configuration could alsobe used.

The preferred means for attaching the braided elements 12 a and 12 b tothe base 10 is by sewing. Because the braided elements 12 a and 12 b arecomposed of multiple strands 32 somewhat loosely woven together ratherthan the single copper wire used in most prior art devices, there issufficient free space 34 between the adjacent strands 32 such that thesewing operation never has to pierce, and preferably does not pierce,any of the strands 34. Rather, the sewing operation creates a securemechanical lock as the thread used to sew bridges across the individualstrands. While any suitably durable and strong thread can be used in thesewing operation, 100% polyester Star Ultra® Monocord from Coats, NorthAmerican (www.coatscna.com) has proven suitable. A single line ofstitching 36 down the longitudinal center of each braided element 12 aand 12 b has proven sufficient, although many other sewing stitches,styles and placement would work as well.

Of course, other attachment means for attaching the braided elements 12a and 12 b to the base 10 could be used instead of or in addition tosewing. For example, the braided elements 12 a and 12 b could also beglued or heat-melted to the base, or stapled, or bolted, or screwed intoplace on the base. However, it is believed that for ease ofconstruction, for durability, and for attractiveness, sewing ispreferred.

The ends of braided elements 12 a and 12 b are attached to the terminalsof a conventional power source (not shown). A charge of approximately800 volts alternating current, at low ampere (10 mA) or 7.5 KV, 3 ampdirect current, has proven effective to deter birds. Larger voltages andamperes may be necessary for larger animals. Of course, if the desirewas to execute the pest rather than simply deter, then the voltages andamperes would have to be increased accordingly, and the current bearingcharacteristics of the braided elements 12 a and 12 b would have to beadjusted accordingly as well.

The device of this invention can be attached to a just about any surfacewhere deterrence is desired—from flat horizontal surfaces (such aswindow ledges, building edges and billboard tops where some birds liketo perch and roost), to vertical or skewed surfaces (such as fencerails, posts or other surfaces where the device might be used to deterfarm animals, vermin or varmints), to radically curved surfaces (such ason outdoor artwork and statues to deter birds from perching and defacingthe structure with their droppings). The device can also easilyaccommodate planar and non-planar angles. Because the device can beradically bent in a non-planar way, most non-planar surface transitionscan be accommodated simply by bending the device. For planar surfacetransitions, the base 10 and braided elements 12 a and 12 b can beeasily cut through at any angle using conventional means so thatadjacent ends of the cut pieces can be brought together to follow theapplication topography. The adjacent cut ends of the braided elements 12a and 12 b can be reattached to recreate the circuit by any conventionalmeans such as flexible, crimpable connector pieces or soldering, as onlytwo of many examples.

Although preferred embodiments have been shown and described, thedisclosed invention and the protection afforded by this patent are notlimited thereto, but are of the full scope of the following claims, andequivalents thereto.

1. An electric deterrent device comprising: a) a base having at leasttwo areas which are of a non-conductive material; b) said base beingattachable to a surface; c) at least a pair of electricity conductingelements attached to said non-conductive areas of said base, each saidelement comprising a plurality of smaller strands braided together toform each said element; and d) said braided elements being attachablerespectively to the positive and negative terminals of a power source.2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said strands of said elements aresubstantially round.
 3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said strands ofsaid elements are substantially flat.
 4. The invention of claim 1wherein said elements are attached to said base by sewing.
 5. Theinvention of claim 1 wherein said braided elements have a substantiallyflat cross sectional configuration.
 6. The invention of claim 1 whereinsaid braided elements are attached to said base by an adhesive such asglue.
 7. The invention of claim 1 wherein said braided elements areattached to said base by sewing, gluing and heat welding.
 8. Theinvention of claim 1 wherein said braided elements are attached to saidbase by screws or staples.
 9. The invention of claim 1 wherein aplurality of said strands are stainless steel.
 10. The invention ofclaim 1 wherein a plurality of said strands of are copper.
 11. Theinvention of claim 1 wherein a plurality of said strands are zinc coatedcopper.
 12. The invention of claim 1 wherein said base is constructed ofcellular, rigid or flexible polyvinyl chloride.
 13. The invention ofclaim 1 wherein said base is constructed of any elastomeric material.14. The invention of claim 1 wherein each said braided element resideswithin an appropriately sized channel within said base.
 15. Theinvention of claim 1 in which said braided element comprises somestrands of a conducive material and other strands of a non-conductivematerial.
 16. In an electrical animal, pest or bird deterrent devicecomprising a base that is attachable to the surface from which theanimal, pest or bird is to be deterred, and at least a pair ofelectrically conductive elements attached to the base and attachable toa power source, the improvement comprising said conductive elementscomprising a plurality of individual strands woven together in abraid-like fashion.
 17. The invention of claim 16 in which said elementsare attached to said base by sewing.
 18. The invention of claim 16 inwhich some of said individual strands are made of a conductive materialand some are not.
 19. The invention of claim 16 in which said strandsare made of metal.
 20. The invention of claim 19 in which said strandsare constructed of stainless steel, copper, or zinc plated copper, or acombination thereof.
 21. The invention of claim 16 in which said base isconstructed entirely of a non-conductive material.
 22. The invention ofclaim 16 in which said base is constructed entirely of cellular, flex orrigid polyvinyl choride.
 23. The invention of claim 16 in which saidbase is constructed entirely of a material selected from the group ofneoprene, fluoroelastomer, silicone, natural rubber, buna n (nitrile),buna s (SBR), thermoplastic rubber, synthetic polyisoprene, EPDM andpolyurethane.
 24. The invention of claim 16 in which said strands aresubstantially circular in cross section.
 25. The invention of claim 16in which said strands are substantially flat in cross-section.
 26. Theinvention of claim 16 in which said strands are woven tightly together.27. The invention of claim 16 in which said strands are woven looselytogether.